Microsoft discussed changes it made in order to provide a full Office experience on a Windows RT tablet

Microsoft's Office blog, "Office Next," revealed what programs like Word and Excel will look and feel like on a Windows RT tablet.

According to the blog, the Microsoft Office team was looking at what consumers required in a mobile version of the Office Suite. They discovered that users wanted two things: a full Office experience, and great battery life while using it.

So, the team did just that. Office Home and Student 2013 for Windows RT isn't just a viewer or a quick edit system; it's a full Office experience complete with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote just the way they work on a PC.

But for obvious reasons, Office can't work on a Windows RT tablet exactly the way it works on a PC. A different device calls for different functions, so the Microsoft Office team addressed this as well. The question at hand was, how could they create a classic full Office experience that adapts well to a tablet?

Windows RT devices typically have features like 2 GB and up memory capabilities, 16 GB to 32 GB SSD storage capabilities and ARM system-on-a-chip processors. These specs offer plenty of potential as far as optimizing the use of Office programs and the device's battery life. The storage allows for plenty of document saves while the ARM processor reduces power consumption and increases performance.

Other changes were made as well, such as the addition of coalescable timers, which specify a range of time to wake up the central processing unit (CPU) to do work instead of an absolute interval. This doesn't drain the battery as much. Other timers that are battery consuming, such as those that support a blinking cursor, were eliminated entirely. Instead, Windows RT stops the blinking cursor after a few seconds if the user has stopped responding.

Aside from providing a full Office Suite and optimizing battery life, the blog mentioned that Office for Windows RT will also be able to tell whether you're using a cellular network, and if that data is unlimited or metered. This helps customers with issues like bill shock. When customers are nearing or over their monthly cap, Office lets them know.

Office Home and Student 2013 RT will be available on Windows RT devices October 26, when Windows 8 is released. Initially, only preview editions will be available, but starting in November, free Microsoft updates will start rolling in through January. These updates will boost the Office Suite RT to its full-featured version.